Racing Time
by Jade Cyclone
Summary: Memories of Kai's past are resurfacing, and it's becoming harder and harder for him to find peace. But what happens when he is changed in more ways than one, and the one person whom he believes he could never trust becomes his only release?
1. Memories

A/N: I hope you guys like this one, it's by far my favorite idea I've had yet! I'll update this one quick, because I have a feeling your going to get a kick out of the next chapter!

Disclaimer: I don't own BeyBlade, the characters, plot, or anything. I use them for my own purposes, but I take credit for nothing.

...

Ruby eyes followed the whirling top with a calculated gaze, as it ran circles around the opponents that had been set up in the miniature bey-dish in the snow. The cold nipped at the figure, but despite it all he was content. It was a rarity for them, to be outside. And even if he was only training it was a welcome change from the hard stone, and closed doors of the Abbey.

_Silver bangs brushed his forehead playfully as they danced with the frozen wind. Kai pushed them out of his eyes with a gloved hand, blinking away the snowflakes that caught on his lashes. With a deep breath he monitored his blades progress, mentally keeping track of weaknesses and strengths that he'd have to report to Boris when he was finished. _

_Behind him, he heard footsteps crunching through the layers of ice on the Abbey grounds. The blunette narrowed his eyes. Looks like I won't need to report my progress after all. . _

_He kept himself focused on Dranzer, making sure there was nothing that his trainer could exploit for a possible punishment._

_Suddenly, a familiar sound erupted behind him, but before he could turn he was hit from behind, falling face first into the snow. _

"_What was that for?!" the young phoenix cried, twisting around to face a snickering Tala as he caught his blade as it returned. The redhead shrugged. _

"_It's my job to keep you in line, slacker," he answered coolly with a smirk. "You weren't focused." _

"_Like hell I wasn't!" he grinned back, balling his fist to create a discrete snowball in his palm. His captain didn't seem to notice. _

"_Well I caught you off guard didn't I?" _

"_You aren't the only one..." he trailed off, turning his head, feigning innocence. The wolf master quirked an eyebrow._

"_Oh yeah?" _

_Nodding, Kai whipped his hand forward, releasing the snow at Tala's face. Bull's-eye._

"_HIWATARI!" he hollered, shaking the snow from his face and hair. He tried to glare at the other boy, but it came out as a quirky half-smirk, because of the smile teasing his lips. The phoenix would have noticed---if he hadn't been busy making more ammo..._

_Forgetting protocol for the first time in three years, the two allowed for nothing but a full-fledged snowball war._

"_You are so dead, you hear me?"_

"_I heard you," the phoenix panted. "But your aim sucks so bad, I don't have to worry about it!" _

_Hurtling another frozen grenade at his redheaded target before he could reply, the blunette toppled over laughing when he landed a direct hit that sent his captain sprawling._

_Taking advantage of the momentary distraction, the wolf master tackled the smaller Russian, pinning him to the ground with his hands above his head. _

"_You really need to work on this." _

_They both laughed, taking a small intermission to catch their breaths. Tala shifted forward, so he was sitting on Kai's chest, allowing him to remove his hands from his captive's wrists, replacing them with his knees. They were both panting, and for a long time the only sound was that of their heavy breathing. Finally, the redhead broke the silence._

"_Who sucks now?" The phoenix snorted, but his captain crossed his arms over his chest expectantly. _

"_What?" Electric blue eyes glittered down on him. _

"_Say it." Crimson eyes narrowed in response. _

"_You wish." _

_Smugly, Tala reached over to the side, carefully packing snow and keeping an eye on the boy beneath him. Finished, he held a massive chunk of snow over Kai's face._

"_Say it." _

"_Don't you---" his words were cut off as his vision turned white. Sputtering, he thrashed his head, trying to find the surface again. When he was able to see, he found that his captain had another ready for him. _

"_Say it," he grinned, raising his hands slightly. _

"_You're going to regret this," he countered, glaring at the boy above him. With a shrug, he let the bomb drop. He was prepared again by the time the blunette had recovered. _

"_Say it." _

"_No."_

_**Splat.**_

"Jerk."

"_Say it." _

"_No." _

_**Splat.**_

"_This is your last chance before I make you say it." _

"_Wasn't that the point?" _

_**Splat.**_

Kai jerked forward in his chair, his eyes darting around the room.

Silence ricocheted off the walls around him, blanketing the plushfurniture and rich carpets of the office around him. The window to his right was cracked open slightly, allowing the warm summer air to fan the curtains, while a small sun-catcher on the glass stole the setting sun's rays to cast it's colors across the floor. Nothing stirred, and nothing made a sound.

With a sigh of relief, the phoenix settled back, allowing himself to relax a bit. Almost immediately the feeling faded as he recalled his dream.

"Dream?" he wondered out loud. "Or memory?" Shaking his head, he glared at the coffee table.

That wasn't possible. He'd never been friends with Tala...ever.

Not that he could remember anyway.

The blunette's glare intensified. During the Russian tournament, he had been forced to relive his past, all of his suppressed memories suddenly bubbling to the surface. And although he was sure that everything was back where it belonged, from time to time something would nag at the back of his mind. There was something that he was certain that he was forgetting.

But not that.

Rubbing his temples he growled low in his throat. "If Tala and I were really that close, I would have remembered when I saw him. I would have remembered," he reasoned. Logically, it made sense; it was just...it had all felt so real.

He jumped when the door opened, cursing himself under his breath. Tyson and Max bounded in, Kenny in tow. He sneered.

The Three Stooges.

"Hey Kai? Any word from the old man yet?" the world champ inquired, all too joyfully. The phoenix blinked.

"No," he snapped. Kenny sighed.

"That's nearly four hours he's been in there then." Max nodded at his side.

"I can't believe all this crap they're putting us through..." he trailed off, glancing at the door.

Mr. Dickenson was currently trying to negotiate with the elders of Rei's village to allow him to enter the upcoming tournament with the Blade Breakers again. Apparently, they weren't all too happy with the tiger for leaving them in the first place, and so they were putting up a fight. Their decision was unanimous. Rei wasn't leaving the village to compete, unless it was to be in the name of the White Tiger clan. Hopefully, with the help of the BBA, the decision would change.

"Anyone hungry?" The phoenix rolled his eyes.

"I would have thought that you'd come from the cafeteria." Max smirked.

"The vending machines anyway..." Tyson pouted, sticking out his tongue at his best friend.

"No one's answered my question," he replied indignantly. The American teen sighed, giving in.

"Alright Ty, I'll go with you." Both of them stood, wearing identical grins as they headed towards the door. When they shut it behind them, the room was plunged into silence again, abruptly cut off though, by Kenny's frantic typing.

"How's...Dranzer?" Chief asked hesitantly, glancing up every few seconds to make sure that he hadn't upset his captain. The blunette regarded him curiously before shrugging.

"Fine." Nodding, the small boy finally met the ruby gaze fixed intently on him.

"Mind if I do a check up? I can't make upgrades from here, but I can get an idea of the work I'm going to have to do." Raising an eyebrow, the phoenix produced a blade from his pocket, tossing it to the young teen across from him.

"It's the others who need this," he informed, crossing his arms over his chest again as the other got to work. "I'm ready for this tournament."

"Are you?"

Crimson eyes narrowed sharply. "Excuse me?"

"Well, what...what I meant was...uh, that---" suddenly he was cut off, as the door opened, admitting Mr. Dickenson into the small lounge area.

"It's done!" he smiled happily beneath his mustache. "Young Rei will be joining us tomorrow morning!" Kenny beamed where he sat, hopping to his feet as soon as the news passed the head-administrators lips.

"I'll get the others!" he cried, running from the room with Dranzer and Dizzy clutched tightly to his chest.

Kai fidgeted slightly in his seat, watching the other warily. He never liked being alone with him. He wasn't afraid of the elderly supervisor, nor did he have any reason to be, but some part of him was still unsure about his relationship with the old man.

"So what do you think, can you whip them into shape in time?" came the joking comment. A pale face snapped up in response, meeting a warm smile. The blunette nodded, seemingly nonchalant, though he leaned a bit further back in his chair.

Mr. D frowned at this as he eased himself into a chair across from the Russian teen. Ever since the world tournament, the young phoenix had been more than stiff and curt with him. He'd hoped it would pass but even now, nearly six months since the incident the younger male was still skeptical about him, or rather, the life he'd been given and the people involved in it.

The old man looked up to find himself faced with a ruby glare, tipping his head to the side when the eldest of his boys shifted uncomfortably under his gaze.

"Tyson needs to focus more," Kai replied, watching the man across from him closely. "But they'll be fine...I don't worry about it so much anymore," he added softly with a deep breath.

Mr. Dickenson beamed. "Glad to hear it. And I am proud..." he trailed off. He'd held similar conversations with his team's captain before that hadn't ended so well.

"I'm grateful," the pale teen answered awkwardly, looking up again. "For that..."

Nodding, the administrator leaned back as he waited for the others to arrive. The room fell silent again, but both of the figures in the room were content. The tension had receded, allowing them to sit comfortably in each other's presence.

Letting out a breath he hadn't been aware that he was holding, the phoenix shut his eyes, his shoulders relaxing against his seat. He wasn't about to jump the old man and smother him in a hug, but, he hadn't been lying, and it felt good to let him know.

...

Tyson let out a loud whoop in his excitement. Rei's plane would be landing any minute, and soon they would be a team again. The Blade Breakers were being reunited, and even Kai felt the familiar spark that he'd grown accustomed to around his teammates.

Sitting heavily on the benches positioned before the large glass windows, the phoenix watched the planes as they took off. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see a figure that he couldn't have mistaken for anyone else if he tried. The neko was heading this way, his head ducked to avoid attention. Turning away, the blunette waited for the others to notice allowing himself a discrete half-smile.

Three...two...one...

"REI!" Max called running over to his Chinese friend. The Russian rolled his eyes.

All too predictable.

Tyson grinned, running after his blonde companion. "Hey buddy! How y'a been?"

Kai watched the Drigger blader closely as the others rushed him. Gently the tiger lifted his head, offering them a bright smile.

"It's good to be back," he replied.

"Well it's great to see you again!" the dragon master added, moving to thump his friend on the back. The blunette watched curiously as the neko stepped lightly to the side, grabbing the younger teen's hand to shake it instead.

"Thanks."

Slightly confused, but not deterred in any way, Tyson shook his hand before leading them all back to the group, Mr. Dickenson coming away from the wall after allowing his boys a moment to reacquaint themselves. Extending his hand, the Chinese teen grasped it, his eyes shining with an unexplained gratefulness.

"Hello sir," he addressed the man before him. The head-administrator smiled warmly.

"How are you holding up Rei? Was your flight enjoyable?" The tiger shrugged, but his movements were stiff as he pulled away.

"I'll live." Turning suddenly, the ebony-haired teen inclined his head towards his captain, who was still watching him with a calculated gaze.

"Kai."

The phoenix nodded, though he never took his eyes off of the younger male. His movements were clipped, and strained, and although he looked genuinely happy to be back with his team, his smiles seemed forced. Cocking an eyebrow, the blunette shook it off, standing and heading towards the exit.

"Well," he heard Mister D behind him. "We should probably get going. I've set up a small house for you all to use during your training weeks so follow your captain, he's got the keys."

Everyone blinked, before realizing that their captain was nearly out of sight.

"KAI!" Tyson whined, scrambling to follow with Max, Rei, and Kenny behind him. "WAIT!"

"Thank you!" Chief called over his shoulder to the elderly man left chuckling quietly to himself behind them.

...

The slender body on the bed winced as another applied a cool cream to the fresh wounds on his back. Tala shut his eyes, gripping the edges of his bed, as Kai finished and began winding a roll of bandages around his torso. He hissed slightly as they were tightened, but he bit his lip, refusing to let the pain overcome him. With a sigh, the boy behind him finished.

"_Done." Was the simple reply. Nodding, the redhead turned, his ice-blue gaze inspecting his small companion. _

"_How about you?" he answered softly. "Anything that I missed?" The blunette shook his head, opening his arms, inviting Tala into a gentle embrace. _

_Grateful, the wolf master leaned into the strong chest. Shutting his eyes, he pushed Kai back gently so that they could rest together. They each had their own separate beds, but there were no cameras in the dorms, and they felt safer in each other's arms..._

Kai blinked when Rei tapped him lightly on the shoulder. He glared ahead angrily, shaking his head to clear it before turning around to face his teammate.

"What?" The tiger rolled his eyes.

"Is this where you and I are sleeping?" he asked as if he'd said it twice already. Furrowing his brow, the phoenix looked back the way he'd been facing before the Chinese teen had come up behind him.

The door was wide open, revealing a simple room of white. It was furnished with only two twin beds, with dark comforters, a table that sat between them supporting an alarm clock and a small lamp. Across from the beds was a single bureau nearly running the entire length of the wall, and to the right of it was another door that lead to the bathroom.

"Yes," he answered finally. The other nodded, brushing by him and into the room.

Kai stayed where he was. There was something familiar about this room to him; something that kept dancing just out of reach, mocking him. A memory that he couldn't quite grasp---

His breathing hitched.

It was exactly like the dorm he'd shared with Tala when he'd stayed at the Abbey. The very same room he'd just remembered. Almost immediately his eyes narrowed, and he stepped into the room quickly, shutting the door with a 'snap'.

'No,' he reprimanded himself. 'It couldn't have been a memory. I'm letting my emotions get to me, and it has to stop.'

"Something wrong?" Looking up, the blunette regarded the curious golden orbs ahead of him.

"Nothing," he sighed, setting his bag down and heading to the bathroom to splash cold water on his face.

He shut the door, glaring at his reflection in the mirror. Four blue triangles glared at him from his pale cheeks, a permanent reminder of his position; his rank in his trainer's eyes. They were sharp; intimidating...meant to strike fear into his enemies. It was required, and a curse. In Russia everyone knew he belonged to Boivolt, they could tell at a glance. He could never escape, and it made him sick.

Reaching up, he smudged the paint, rubbing at it until it had disappeared from his face. The water in the sink had turned blue by the time he'd finished, and angrily he wiped his face with a towel before shutting off the tap. His reflection was softer now when he stared at it, and for a fleeting moment he wondered what had happened to the boy he was staring at now. Unconsciously he found himself missing that boy, wherever he was.

Growling he threw the towel at the opposite wall before throwing the door open. His eyes widened suddenly before narrowing at the boy before him.

Rei was staring at him like a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming vehicle. He'd removed his shirt, deep cuts and dark bruises visible on his back and down his tan arms. There were more, but before he could finish his inspection the tiger turned, snapping him back to the present.

The phoenix fixed him with a softer look, moving slowly so as not to startle the Chinese teen.

"What happened?" he almost demanded, stopping at the edge of the bed. The neko had been inching away with every step he'd taken, but any further and he'd topple off the bed. Still, he shook his head defiantly, not saying a word.

Kai watched him closely as he reached for his shirt and leaned forward, taking his wrist. The ebony-haired teen yelped out of surprise, looking up at the blunette, his eyes wide. With a sigh, the older teen took the tunic and tossed it across the room.

"Lay down."

"W-What?" Slowly the Russian teen pulled the other forward by his wrist until he was closer to the center of the bed. Then, sliding his hand to the back of the neko's neck, he applied pressure until Rei was lying on his stomach.

"Lay down," he repeated.

"Kai, what are you...?" the tiger trailed off, wincing as he struggled to sit up.

"Don't move," he demanded sharply as he rummaged through his bag. Rei blinked, watching as his captain produced some bandages and small containers from his bag. After setting them down on the table, he walked briskly back into the bathroom and came back out holding a wet towel.

The older teen sat down on the bed, pushing his teammate to lie back down. Finally the Drigger blader complied, trying to settle down as crimson eyes drilled holes into his back. His own eyes fluttered shut when a pale hand moved across his neck, brushing his long hair out of the way.

"This may hurt," the phoenix warned as he pressed the steaming cloth against the injuries.

Clutching the comforter beneath him, the younger teen bit his tongue to keep from crying out as his captain cleaned off his wounds. He gasped slightly when he felt a cool palm press against his shoulder.

"Try and relax, it isn't as bad as it feels." Nodding, he took a deep breath and silently let go of the world around him, calming himself down so that Kai could finish. For a long time the room was silent until Rei opened his eyes to look at the teen over his shoulder.

"The elders weren't pleased with my decision," he started, his grip loosening on the fabric of the blankets beneath him. "They had half a mind to disown me, if one of them hadn't suggested I pay for what I'd done first."

Switching the towel for a bottle of cream, the blunette began to apply it to the gashes that marred the once flawless skin, while listening carefully.

"What had you done?" he asked, anticipating the answer.

"I betrayed them..." the neko trailed off softly. His stare was blank, almost if he believed what he'd said and was sorry for it. The phoenix faltered slightly.

"Sit up," he commanded after a moment, picking up a roll of bandages. The Chinese teen did as he was told, and waited patiently until Kai was done.

"Don't tell the others," he pleaded, turning around to stare into a crimson storm. The older male shook his head reassuringly.

"I won't." Standing, he tossed his things back into his bag, pulling out a pair of shorts and a T-shirt before heading to the bathroom to change. But before he shut the door he stopped, causing his roommate to watch him uncertainly.

"Rei. You didn't betray anyone. The tournament was over when you made your decision, and so was your duty to your team. Max and I made the same decision...you're not a traitor."

"Kai?"

But the Russian didn't offer any more, simply closed the door behind him, allowing Rei some privacy to get ready for bed.

...

A/N: Well there you have it! Hope you like it, and you guys know the drill, I'll answer any important questions in the chapter following the one you reviewed, and as always your reviews are important, but flames don't sit well with me. Although all of your opinions are respected, flames do burn, just keep that in mind...Constructive criticism is always welcomed though!


	2. Fallen

A/N: Hey guys! I told you I'd update this one fast! Anyway, I'm all but falling off my chair by now, 'cause I can't wait to hear from you after you read this. This by far is one of my favorite scenes, (that I've ever written) but credit goes to Lessa4 for helping me out with the idea! Thanks babe, luv ya! As to the whole triangle, Kai/Rei/Tala thingie, you guys were sort of right, but I guess you'll just have to see how it plays out. So, have fun with this, and enjoy!

**Important: Chapter 9 of Slipping will be uploaded by Friday, and Red Angel by Monday. Check my bio then for other important announcements, thank you.**

Disclaimer: I do not own BeyBlade. Happy?

...

"You... ..." Kai panted, his face wet with melted snow. He was still lying on his back, too tired out to bother to move. Tala was lying beside him, laughing quietly to himself as he brushed the snow from his friends slate bangs.

"_What can I say?" he shrugged. "I can be a very persuasive person." The redhead caught the phoenix's wrist before another snowball could be fired. _

"_Jerk," the blunette sighed, dropping his weapon. _

"_Forgive me from saving you from yet another embarrassing defeat," he winked, letting go of the petite wrist. "But---"_

_The smaller boy frowned when his companion never finished, and turned over to find wide, sapphire eyes brimming with fear. They weren't looking at him, rather, right through him, unblinking, and frozen in place. _

"_Tala...?" he whispered, sitting up to come closer to his captain. The older Russian gasped slightly, his eyes refocusing. _

"_Listen!" he hissed, taking hold of the slender shoulders. _

_Swallowing the lump in his throat, the other closed his eyes, straining to hear what had startled the wolf master so easily. He furrowed his brows, concentrating, until suddenly, it became all too clear. His eyes snapped open._

"Boris..." he breathed, whirling around to find their trainer heading straight for them.

_Shocked for only a moment, they scrambled to their feet, Kai positioning himself a fraction behind his captain, as was expected. They kept their heads bowed as he neared, admonishing themselves for being so stupid. The footsteps in the snow stopped just before Tala, and the phoenix could see his muscles ripple as he tensed. _

"_Sir," the redhead addressed. _

_Suddenly, Boris's hand shot out, gripping the Wolborg blader's neck in his palm. His fingers dug into the pale skin beneath his turtleneck sweater, cutting off the boy's air supply. He shut his eyes, trying not to resist, but his heart was pounding against his chest and he couldn't breathe..._

"_Sir?" the trainer all but spat in reply. "Why treat me with such courtesy now Tala, when you cared nothing for the specific orders I gave to this afternoon?!"_

"_I---" he gasped, unable to finish. His lungs were on fire; he needed air. He opened his mouth again, desperately fighting to answer, to stay conscious, but he was cut off as Boris backhanded him, whipping his head to the side. _

"_I don't care for your excuses!" he hollered, throwing his young apprentice to the side. The wolf master struggled to stand as the older male made his way over, but he could barely make it to his knees as he sucked in the air around him. _

"_It was my fault!" Glowing red eyes fixed on the other boy, forgotten in the snow. Boris rounded furiously on the blunette, disregarding the one at his feet. Grabbing a fistful of Kai's hair, he wrenched his head up, snarling into his ear. _

"_Your fault? No, it wasn't your fault, it was you!" he growled raising his voice. "It's always you!" he screamed, dragging Kai away from his captain. Tala cried out for him, but within seconds he was surrounded by guards._

"_Let go!" the phoenix yelled, trying to free himself, struggling to return to Tala...to help him. "Let me go!" _

"_I don't think so," Boris snapped viciously, yanking the phoenix forward by his hair. Over his shoulder, he called to the guards who were escorting his apprentice in the other direction._

"I propose a separation," he grinned maniacally, pausing a moment to toss Kai at another group of Abbey guards. They hauled the small boy to his feet, shoving him roughly towards the dungeon wing.

"_Of course," he added, seemingly as an after thought. "You'll both be punished for such reckless behavior...and your training will begin at four o'clock sharp!"_

...

Kai gasped, bolting up in his bed. Frantic crimson eyes swept over the glowing red numbers projected by the clock beside his bed. His heart leapt into his throat.

4:28

"Shit," he hissed, hastily untangling the sheets from his ankles. Jumping off the edge of the bed he paused, noticing the figure that was sleeping soundly on the otherside of the room. He took a deep breath, glancing around once more before his gaze fell back to the lump in the blankets. 'Did Boris allow him to come back last night?'

Falling to his knees beside the other bed, he began shaking the occupant urgently.

"Tala?" he whispered. "Tala get up dammit! We're late!" With a groan, the figure reached up to turn the lights on.

"Kai...?" he asked sleepily. The blunette took a wild step back, almost falling over as he moved away. That---that wasn't Tala...

With a small 'click' the room was flooded with light, and the phoenix felt his back hit the wall in surprise as a Chinese teen sat up slowly from the bed, rubbing his eyes.

"Kai, what's wrong?" he yawned, stretching.

"How do you know my name?" came the deadly whisper. It seemed to freeze the air in the room as it cut at the other occupant.

Rei blinked up in surprise, his golden eyes fixed on the wall across from him. He was sure his jaw hit the floor.

Standing in front of him was Kai, but he had shrunk, his white T-shirt slipping over one of his pale shoulders. His clothes were huge on him, and his hair a bit shorter, and wilder. He was just a kid, only eight or so, but he was no less menacing than the teen he had once been. His crimson gaze bore into him, but to his surprise, Rei found that he could read those eyes...the once emotionless pools were filled with fear and uncertainty.

"I know you heard me," he snapped. The tiger shook his head.

"What happened to you?" Kai didn't seem to understand, either way, he ignored the question.

"I asked you something," he growled. "How. Do you know. My name?" The neko opened his mouth, but suddenly ruby eyes lit up with some sort of recognition.

"Did Boris send you?" he yelled, boldly taking a step forward. "He did, didn't he?"

"Boris?" Rei quirked an eyebrow. "No...Kai, we're---"

"If you don't work for him then how do you know my name?!" he yelled again, his fists clenching at his sides. "Is it my grandfather? Did Voltaire send you here then?"

"No, listen to me, I'm your friend. No one sent me---"

"I DON'T KNOW YOU!" he screamed, cutting the tiger off again. Golden eyes flashed dangerously, but the small boy didn't heed the warning. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE AND WHO SENT YOU?!"

"WOULD YOU SHUT UP AND LISTEN?" the Chinese teen yelled, his temper finally reaching a boiling point. "WE'RE IN JAPAN KAI! I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU BUT IT IS SERIOUSLY FREAKING ME OUT!"

"We can't be..." he snapped back, but the Drigger blader detected a panic rising in his voice. "It's not possible, we're...we're in Russia...we have to be..."

"I'm sorry," he started quickly, watching as the slender body in front of him began to tremble. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to yell like that---"

"SHUT UP!" he screamed suddenly, startling the ebony-haired teen. "JUST SHUT UP!"

Just then Tyson and Max came stumbling into the room, glaring angrily at Rei.

"What is going on in here?" the blonde asked, throwing up his hands.

"Yeah dude?" the dragon master yawned. "It's like, five in the morning..." The tiger was about to explain, when all of them stopped dead in their tracks as a small voice muttering incoherent phrases in Russian made it's way through the room. Abruptly it switched to English.

"He's going to kill me..." it breathed. "He'll kill me..."

The two teens turned to find a smaller version of their teen captain, staring out the window. Their eyes widened, and Maxie opened his mouth to say something, but the boy at the window fell to his knees, his breath coming in short gasps. The Chinese teen blinked. How had he...?

"It's not possible," he shook his head, resting it on the sill. "No. I don't believe it..."

"Kai?" the navy-haired teen called out in surprise.

His head snapped up suddenly, but the figure didn't respond. His grip on the window tightened, his knuckles turning white. Crimson eyes dashed around the room, falling to each of the teens that stood around him.

Rei swallowed hard, slipping out of bed to stand with the others. He was afraid that the young phoenix would do something brash at any moment. He was frightened, and they'd backed him into a corner.

Kai whirled around at his sudden movement, his gaze narrowed, and determined. The White Tiger stopped moving and looked to his former team captain again.

"Calm down," he requested gently. "No one is going to hurt you," he added. The other two sensed the building tension as well, nodding slowly in agreement.

"Just relax, can we talk?" he suggested. Rei cheered inwardly, 'Thank you Maxie!'

"Where's Tala?" They all paused, they're hearts skipping beats. Tyson scowled.

"What do you want with that jerk?"

None of them had time to react. The small boy lunged at the dragon master, knocking him off his feet with a hard kick to the jaw.

Coming to their senses, the others tried to grab a hold of him, but he vaulted over their heads, landing neatly on one knee before charging down the hallway.

"Kai wait!"

The neko ran after him, leaving Max to see to their fallen friend. The blunette was incredibly agile, and even the Chinese teen had trouble tailing him around the house as he ran. He wouldn't speak as he tried to escape. Spotting the stairs he jumped, flipping easily over them before landing hard on the floor below.

"KAI!" the ebony-haired teen yelled, sure that he'd injured himself. But the kid just threw him a glare over his shoulder before standing to unlock the door. The tiger felt his heart hammering against his ribs. If he opened that door, they'd never find him again.

Jumping the stairs, he made a grab for the lose T-shirt, yanking the young phoenix back by his collar. The door swung open, nearly hitting Kenny in the face as he came out from the bathroom.

"What's going on?" he cried, dropping his glass of water and shutting the door again.

Kai was struggling wildly, his eyes shut tight as he fought against Rei's superior weight, as the teen pinned him to the floor. Tears of frustration leaked through his lashes as he thrashed, kicking out blindly and catching his captor in the stomach. The teen groaned, toppling to the side, but the blonde and the other blunette came down the stairs, holding him fast while their friend recovered.

"Jesus," Tyson hissed, his grip on the pale ankles reaching a bruising point as he fought to keep the kid under control. Kenny was leaning against the wall, trying to piece together the situation on his own so as not to disturb the others.

Kai gasped, desperation setting in. He wasn't going to be able to get away, he couldn't...

"Calm down!" Max hollered down on him, but he shook his head wildly, unwilling to listen.

"TALA!" he screamed suddenly, still struggling, though his movements were slower. He was tiring. "TALA, HELP ME!"

The four remaining teens all shared a look, watching the young phoenix out of the corner of their eyes. What the hell was going on? And why was Tala the only one he seemed to remember?

The room became silent as the boy beneath them fainted, the last words that fell from his lips burning themselves into their memories. Rei coughed, falling back against the stairs not bothering to lift his shirt and inspect the huge bruise that was, no doubt, forming on his stomach. Slowly, the other two let go of their captive, and when they were sure that he wasn't going to wake up, they too collapsed next to the Drigger blader. Kenny stepped away from the wall and approached the others carefully, avoiding the broken glass and water littering the floor.

"I'll clean that up," he told them absently when he received a few looks for it.

"Whatever," Tyson panted. "No one cares. Rei? You're going to tell us what's going on. Right now." The American teen nodded at his side.

"I think that goes without saying." The raven-haired blader looked up at them helplessly.

"I don't know what happened, honestly. He woke up rambling about being late or something, and when I turned on the light he was...well, about eight years younger..." For a long time no one said a word until the blunette stood up, taking his captain up in his arms.

"Come on," he gestured up the stairs. "Let's get him to the couch, or something..."

Everyone silently agreed, standing to follow Tyson back up to the living room. When they'd set the young phoenix down, a small whimper escaped his throat, and he turned into the cushions of the chair.

Max grinned. "He's adorable!"

The dragon master looked up at his American friend, horrified, but the other two laughed. Sheepishly, the blonde teen looked around the room.

"What?" he blushed. "He is..." The blunette rolled his eyes.

"_Everyone _looks adorable when they're asleep Max." Azure eyes glittered innocently.

"That doesn't make what I said any less true." The tiger chuckled quietly to himself, when Tyson came up short of a comeback. But it only took a moment for them all to sober up, their gazes fixed on the sleeping figure intently.

"So, none of us has a clue as to what's going on here?" Chief sighed, standing to fetch Dizzy from the kitchen table. The blonde shrugged, his gaze running over everyone in the room.

"Looks that way."

Again the room fell silent until Kenny returned carrying a small case along with his laptop. Setting it down next to Kai, he opened the box revealing a needle, some test tubes and a few other small bottles.

"What is that for!?" the dragon yelled, hopping backwards slightly. "And more importantly, why do you have it?" The brunette shook his head, but the others were just as curious.

"I use it to take samples. Clearly the only way to get to the bottom of this is to analyze a blood sample from Kai. Maybe someone did this to him somehow...he obviously doesn't remember anything, so this is our best bet."

"You're kidding me?" Tyson bit out, although they were all relieved to hear the Chiefs explanation, they were a bit skeptical about him taking a blood sample. But the small teen didn't listen as he cleaned off Kai's arm and inserted the needle with practiced precision. They held their breath as he put the sample in a test tube, and pressed a piece of gauze to the small wound.

"Once he wakes up well never get another chance," Kenny explained. The Chinese teen took a deep breath before standing and picking up the cordless that stood on the side table.

"One thing's for sure," he sighed. "We can't do this alone. I'm calling Mr. Dickenson."

...

Kai groaned, his hands moving gently up to his temples. His wrists were sore, and so were his shoulders, but other than a headache, he felt fine. Slowly opening his eyes, he blinked up at the ceiling before easing himself up onto his elbows. Quickly he scanned the room, relaxing somewhat when he was sure there was no one else around. Setting his feet on the ground, he allowed his training to aid him, remembering the layout of the building.

Starting from the room he'd woke up in earlier that morning, there were two others in that hallway, and a flight of stairs that led down to the kitchen and the room he was currently lying in. He could hear a few people in the kitchen, but it wasn't everyone he'd seen. One of them was missing, and he couldn't be sure if there were others. Most importantly, there was only one more flight that separated him and the front door.

But before heading for freedom, the blunette crept back upstairs, making his way to the bedroom. Stopping outside of the door he listened, realizing that the shower was running. He could enter safely, but only for a time.

Opening the door he stepped in, shutting it softly behind him. His crimson gaze ran over the décor, until falling to the bags that were thrown in the corner. Glancing at the bathroom, he strode swiftly to the black one. Kneeling down beside it, he carefully began sifting through the contents, minding the doors just the same.

There was a wallet, worn, at least a decade old, that he'd had ever since he'd come to the Abbey. Curiously, he opened it, blinking in surprise at his license. The photo depicted a handsome, seventeen year old Kai, his face bare of any markings; his bloody gaze as cold as a Russian winter.

"That's not possible..."

Setting the object down next to him, he eyed it suspiciously before returning to the rest of the stuff. Immediately he picked up the long white scarf that was carefully folded atop a few changes of clothes. Holding the edge of it, he watched it flutter to the ground at his knees.

"Tala..." he whispered unconsciously, smoothing the heavy fabric between his hands.

"Here, I got it for you in Moscow today. " The redhead smiled, tossing his friend a small package wrapped in brown paper. Kai looked up at him accusingly, but prompted by an ice-blue glare that clearly stated that he should be grateful, he began opening it.

_Heavy, white fabric spilled over the paper onto his lap, and as he lifted it, Tala came up behind him to tie it around his neck so that its two tails trailed down his back. Standing, he stepped away from the bed, noting that the scarf ended halfway down his calf. _

"_It's huge!"_

"_It suits you," his captain nodded thoughtfully before offering him a smirk. "And don't worry, with any luck you'll grow into it."_

Carefully, Kai put the scarf around his neck, tying the knot exactly how Tala had that day. Looking over his shoulder he noted the pool of white fabric behind him. With a sigh he resumed his rummaging. Well, if he _was _seventeen, he certainly hadn't grown much. Cursing his arrogant captain with a smile, he moved aside the clothes (at a glance he knew the sizes were too big for him), to find a small case. He quirked an eyebrow.

His face paint?

Shaking his head, he put his hand into the bag once more, his fingers closing around a familiar object.

"Dranzer!"

Gently he ran a thumb over the bit piece, smiling brightly when the chip lit up in recognition. But as he inspected the blade, his brows knitted together in confusion. It was Dranzer, no question about it, but she had been upgraded, probably more than once. She looked brand new actually, as if someone had just finished working on her.

He'd only altered his blade once that he could remember, and that was to change it back from the monstrosity that Boivolt had created through it's experiments. He gripped it tighter at the dark memory. Sighing, he relaxed a bit, looking down into the emerald eyes of his phoenix.

For a long time the small boy sat back on his heels, glancing over the contents of the bag. It was his bag---that much he was sure of, and the blade proved him correct, but none of it was making any sense. He was eight years old. Eight. He knew that because Tala was nine and a half, so how could he have a license?

Picking up the seemingly foreign object, he slipped it out of its clear cover, taking it out of the wallet to inspect it. It seemed real enough, and he'd had plenty of experience with forgeries. He was fairly certain the picture was authentic as well, but that would mean he'd turned seventeen _this year._ But that would make it...

He glanced at the date.

2004

Suddenly, the door behind him burst open, startling him badly. Whirling around, he dropped the card, coming face to face with a young blonde teen, and the navy-haired boy he'd kicked earlier.

"There you are, you little monster," the Japanese teen muttered, shutting the door behind him. Kai clutched his blade to his chest, reaching back into his bag discretely, searching for his launcher.

"Don't come near me," he warned. The American teen put a hand on his companion's shoulder to pacify him.

"We won't make a move if you won't," he promised. The young phoenix nodded, feeling somewhat better when his hand closed over his launcher. For a long time the room was cloaked in silence, until after sharing a look with the older blunette, the other boy turned back to Kai. The small Russian watched them intently, keeping to a low crouch, just in case.

"Uh...sorry, for earlier I guess," he spoke up after another moment. The boy faltered slightly.

"What?" The navy-haired teen tipped his head to the side.

"We're sorry for grabbing you like that earlier," he clarified.

"You're," the phoenix paused. "You're apologizing for that?"

"Well yeah," he shrugged. "We bruised you up a little, didn't we?" The blonde teen smiled.

"I'm Max," he started again brightly. The other teen added, "And I'm Tyson."

Kai could only stare. There was no way these two were working for Boris, let alone Voltaire. But then... He narrowed his eyes. Why wouldn't they answer his question earlier? Taking a deep breath, he shifted his weight before replying.

"Where is Tala?" Immediately, Max's hand flew to cover Tyson's mouth.

"He's...he's in Russia," the American teen answered slowly. "Other than that, we don't know much about him." The phoenix searched their eyes intently, his heart seizing in his chest when he realized that they were telling the truth. His grip on his blade tightened.

"You don't work for Boris? Or my grandfather?" They shook their heads. "Then how do you know him?" he asked softly, surprising the two older males. Tyson pulled his head from the other's grip. Kai glared at him, daring him to repeat their last confrontation, reminding him of the dark bruise he was sporting on his cheek as a result. He took the hint.

"We battled his team in a tournament," he answered calmly, becoming strangely mature. To the right, everyone noted that the shower had stopped running. The petit figure tensed.

"Why do you want to know?" Max asked. Looking down on his blade, the small blunette searched Dranzer's bit for some kind of help. Choosing to ignore the question, he thumbed the attack ring instead.

The older boys shared a dark look before turning their heads as the bathroom door opened. The Chinese teen emerged from the steam, finishing his hair wrap as he came into the room. Assessing the situation quickly, he tied it off before moving to stand by his friends.

"Kai?" the young phoenix spared him a glance.

"How do you know my name?" The ebony-haired teen sighed.

"We're your friends---"

"But I don't know you," he cut him off weakly. "I don't...remember..." he trailed off, once again searching for guidance from his bit beast. The blonde teen held up his hands.

"That's okay," he assured. "We understand."

"But I don't."

The room fell silent again, no one having the slightest clue on how to answer that. Finally Kai stood, still holding tightly to his blade and launcher. His scarf fell past his knees, and he welcomed the confidence it gave him. Looking up, he watched them closely.

"I don't understand," he repeated. The golden-eyed boy nodded.

"We can help you. And I'm Rei," he added as an afterthought, grinning sheepishly. "But first, we have to get you ready."

Crimson eyes narrowed. "For _what_?" Max waved his hands wildly.

"It's nothing to worry about, honest! But, you don't have any clothes and stuff, and we should probably take you out to get some."

"I can go on my own."

"Will you come back?" they all turned to Tyson, who was watching the young phoenix sternly. The smaller blunette shut his mouth, glaring at the older teen defiantly.

"Kai, you're going to have to trust us." Rei stepped in. "We're not going to hurt you, or do anything that you don't want us to."

"Please?" the blonde teen finished.

The three teens watched their captain with gentle expressions, waiting patiently for him to consider what they had said. He looked at all three of them in turn, before, launcher and blade still in hand, he walked up to them. Taking a deep breath, he opened his mouth to speak---

"GUYS!" came a yell from the hallway. "Mr. Dickenson is here!"

...

A/N: Yes. Yes I did, in fact, just write that. I thought it went extremely well, considering (in my opinion), that this is one of the hardest scenes I've ever brought upon myself to write. I could have screwed this up a million different ways, and I made sure to be careful, but before I offer my opinion, I'll wait for yours. Of course _I'm _going to thing it went swimmingly...o.O;

Ignore that last comment.

Hehehe...slight cliffe. Don't worry though, next chapter the guys _will_take Kai shopping. **...grins maniacally...** So I've made our favorite bishie a chibi who can only think of one thing: Tala. What now? Oh believe me. Insanity will most definitely ensue. Hope you liked it as much as I did!


	3. Shopping, and conflict

A/N: Well, I'm back! Let's get on with it shall we?

Disclaimer: See previous chapters.

Stanley Dickenson had seen a lot of things in his time, some things, stranger than others. But this? This took the prize over everything.

When he had received a phone call earlier this morning about Kai, he hadn't expected what he would find after coming down to the teams house later that day.

Sitting at the kitchen table was an eight-year old version of his team captain. His clothes were much to big on him, and his scarf trailed on the ground from where it was tucked around his small neck. His face was bare of his markings, and although his demeanor seemed softer, from what the administrator had heard, he was anything but.

Presently, he was listening to Rei as he tried to explain a few things to him. The young phoenix took in everything that was said without even blinking, asking very few questions.

"Oh dear," he mumbled to himself, producing his handkerchief to dab his brow with. 'How had this happened?'. Max looked up with a small smile.

"He seems to listen to Rei," he offered. The old man looked up. "He was the one who stopped him from getting away, so I think Kai figures that until he can findan escape, he has to answer to him."

Mr. D smiled. "So it seems." The blonde giggled as Tyson walked in, an ice pack compressed against his cheek.

"Although, he isn't too fond of Ty..." The dragon master glared at his friend before sitting himself down in a chair across from the others.

"Whatever. So what do we do now? Kenny won't be done for a while, and until then we're stuck babysitting when we should be training." Just then Kai walked in, following the neko.

"He's right." Everyone stared at the blunette.

"What?" the tiger asked, looking down on the boy at his feet.

"Well, he _should _be training. I honestly didn't expect to take him down _that_ easily." Tyson growled, clenching his fists.

"Oh yeah?!" Kai nodded, pointing to the dragon's face.

"Yeah. You shouldn't need an ice pack for that kind of hit," he answered matter-of-factly. The Chinese teen stared at him. The hit _he'd_ taken in the stomach was enough to keep him sitting for a few hours, and it wasn't nearly as controlled as the one he had dealt out to the (currently) older blunette.

"WHAT? I'LL BE LUCKY IF YOU DIDN'T CRACK MY JAW!" He rolled his eyes.

"Not likely, if you're screaming like that." Finally Mister Dickenson stood, his gaze stern for such a kindly old man.

"Enough!" Immediately the room went silent. Kai took a step back, but his eyes never left the old man. Tyson 'humphed' and fell backwards into his chair again, mumbling about stupid little kids.

Calming down a bit, the administrator sighed. "I'm sorry boys but we don't need this right now," he reprimanded them gently. "Right now we need teamwork, and patience. Arguing will get us nowhere so I do not expect to hear it in the future."

They all nodded, somewhat ashamed, and finally Mr. D's attention fell to the small Russian. Rei noticed and crouched down next to the young phoenix.

"Kai, this is Mr. Dickenson. He's our benefactor." The boy nodded curtly, his eyes betraying nothing, his stature calm and composed.

"Sir."

"Please," the elderly gentleman smiled. "Call me Mister Dickenson." If he'd heard him, he made no indication of it. The tiger stood again, addressing the head administrator.

"Mr. D, do you have any idea what we can do about this? The tournament is in a few days and..." he trailed off when the boy at his feet eyed him suspiciously. The old director looked around the room apologetically and sighed.

"I'm afraid the most I can do is postpone the competition until we can sort out this mess. If Kenny's efforts prove unsuccessful, then we will have to think of something else. Until then---"

"I have an idea." Max lifted his head, looking at each of his teammates in turn, his gaze resting on Kai for the longest.

"Go ahead," Mr. Dickenson prompted, but the blonde seemed to hesitate.

"He...he remembers Tala," he answered slowly; swallowing hard at the glares he was receiving from the others. "I think this problem is revolving around him."

For a long time the room was silent as everyone came to one undeniable conclusion. Tala was the center of this problem, and the only way to resolve it, was to get in touch with the wolf master himself.

"I think I can place a call," the old man nodded after another moment. "But I can't promise you very much." They all nodded, holding their breaths, but to their surprise Kai didn't say anything. He was still standing slightly behind Rei, his head bowed, arms crossed over his chest. The tiger nudged him after a bit, the others watching just as curiously.

"Kai...?" he stopped when the young phoenix raised his head to look at Mr. Dickenson, his bloody gaze intensifying with each passing moment.

"Will you excuse me sir?" he ground out angrily. Without a word, the head administrator nodded his consent and they all watched as the blunette whirled around and stormed back to his room knuckles turning white as he clenched his fists at his sides.

"What was that all about?" the dragon master called out, letting the ice pack fall off of his face.

"I'll go check on him," the neko offered quietly, turning down the hall, heading towards the room that he and Kai shared.

"Make sure you bring a helmet!" Tyson called after him.

...

Rei was standing in front of the door, listening as the young phoenix paced the floors, muttering in his native tongue. Allowing him a few more minutes to vent, the Chinese teen knocked lightly on the door, and opened it a crack.

Kai had stopped by the window, his eyes burning into the neko as he stepped into the room. Refusing to be intimidated, the tiger looked him over before speaking.

"Are you alright?" A flicker of something crossed those crimson orbs and a hardly noticeable growl escaping the boy's throat betrayed his emotions.

"You lied to me." Golden eyes widened at the accusation, and the teen shook his head quickly.

"About what?"

"Max told me that none of you knew anything about Tala other than where he was," he told the other slowly as if he were speaking to a small child. Rei frowned at this, his brows furrowing in confusion.

"That _is _the truth."

"Then how come you know how to get in touch with him?!" he asked, his voice shaking with just barely controlled rage.

Unsure about how to answer that question, the Chinese teen started to make his way over to his captain---

"Stop that!" the neko blinked in surprise when Kai stepped back until he nearly hit the wall.

"What?"

"Stop trying to comfort me!" he yelled, his cheeks reddening in anger. "I didn't ask for your sympathy! All I want is for you to answer my question!"

At a loss for words, the surprised teen shut his mouth, and sat down on his bed. Leaning forward on his knees, he placed his head in his hands, taking deep breaths as he tried to piece together his thoughts. Finally he started, careful about the words he chose to best explain their actions.

"We didn't want to get your hopes up." The boy across the room glared at him when he lifted his head to meet the ruby gaze. When he didn't answer, the tiger continued.

"The only way for us to get in touch with _him_ is to get in touch with..." he trailed off, not wanting to rile his captain up again. Kai understood.

"Boris," he finished, letting his back hit the wall so that he could slide down into a sitting position on the floor.

"Yes," Rei confirmed. He watched sadly as the blunette folded his arms over his knees and buried his head in them.

"He's seventeen now." It wasn't a question, just a statement to be acknowledged. Nonetheless, the Drigger wielder was surprised to hear it pass the smaller boy's lips. Kai raised his head, resting his chin on his arms, looking up at the window.

"And he's still..." he drew in a breath then, as if he were afraid of his own conclusions. Gently though, his gaze returned to the neko.

"What am I doing here?" he asked timidly, his voice wavering with uncontrollable emotions. Rei swallowed, his expression pained.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, why am I here? I should be in Russia, I'm one of the Demolition Boys. Why am I here?" His voice was small, so unlike Kai's that it was hard to listen to. It was a pleading, helpless tone, something none of them would ever hear from their stoic captain.

"We don't know," the raven-haired teen answered after a moment. His voice was scarcely above a whisper when he finished. "You never spoke very much about your past."

Suddenly, a knock on the door startled them, and after a nod from the young phoenix, he called out that who ever it was could come in. Promptly, the door opened, admitting Tyson and Max. The blonde offered them a smile.

"Mr. Dickenson's left with Kenny, they're going to make a few calls." He told them, taking his time. "But he left us some money, so that we could go out and get Kai the things he needs."

"_If_," Tyson stepped in. "He promises to stay with us the entire time." The blunette glared at the dragon master, but stood all the same, keeping close to Rei.

"You have my word," he promised.

...

The Blade Breakers were sitting on one of the many benches that lined the sidewalks of Bay City, waiting for Kai to come out of the store. He had insisted that he go in alone, leaving no room for argument, and although they were skeptical, they allowed him one hour before they came looking for him. He agreed, and now the others were waiting patiently, praying that they hadn't made a bad decision.

"So, what was up earlier?" Tyson asked, desperately in need of something to do. Rei shrugged, the look in his eyes distant as he recalled his conversation with the blunette earlier.

"He was upset that we hadn't told him that it was possible to get a hold of Tala." Max sighed unhappily.

"I'm sorry guys, that was completely my fault." The dragon master shook his head.

"It was a good idea Maxie," he assured his blonde friend, placing a hand on his shoulder and offering him a cheesy grin. "Better than anything I could've come up with." The American teen giggled.

"It's probably the only lead we've got anyway..." the neko trailed off before adding. "Do you think he'll answer?" The blunette shrugged.

"He's a pretty unpredictable guy, and his relationship with Kai is anything but sunshine and roses." Sapphire eyes sparked at the comment.

"You know, I was thinking the same thing. Don't you guys find it strange that during the tournament Kai and Tala hated each other, but now that Kai seems to be reliving his past, Tala suddenly jumped to best-friend status?"

"Yeah," Rei agreed. "What do you think happened?"

"Whatever it was, it must have been pretty bad," he paused, checking his watch. "He's got fifteen minutes guys." Tyson nodded.

"It's weird."

"What is?" the tiger asked curiously. Tyson sighed, leaning back on the bench to fold his hands behind his head.

"Kai is. I mean, I always thought that maybe he was different when he was younger, you know? Like, nicer, more open. But he isn't so different, and I guess now that I know, I'm kind of regretting it." The others nodded.

"When he woke up this morning, he said he was late," shaking his head he corrected himself. "_We _were late. He thought I was Tala." For a moment they pondered this, until Max blinked in realization.

"The only place that Tala and Kai were ever together in was the Abbey..." Tyson shot up in disbelief, his eyes wide.

"No way! I didn't think he was there since he was _that_ young!" The Chinese teen could only offer him a sympathetic look.

"He hasn't really talked that much about his past Ty, and I don't think he even remembers some of it."

"Didn't his memories come back when he went back to Balcov Abbey?" the blonde inquired, raising an eyebrow. The neko hesitated.

"I think most of them did, but...sometimes he talks in his sleep. It's in Russian a lot of the time, but from what I do hear, he doesn't always understand them."

"Well, couldn't they be just weird dreams?" Max prompted. The Drigger blader shook his head.

"When he thinks I'm asleep, he talks to Dranzer about it..."

"Man," Tyson groaned, flopping back down next to Max on the bench. "This is nuts." The other two were about to sympathize, when the bell over the little shop jangled, betraying a customers exit. They all turned to face the boy in front of them, their mouths all falling slightly open.

His scarf was still in place, but Kai had picked out a pair of khaki cargos that hugged his waist gently, held up by a black belt that supported his launcher in a holster in the back. He was wearing a black turtleneck tank top whose sleeves were lined in red, along with a pair of black fingerless gloves and boots. Finally blinking himself out of shock, Max looked down at his watch just as the numbers changed.

"He's good," he mumbled to Rei. "One hour, right on the dot." The others also blinked, Tyson rolling his eyes as well.

"Well, his fashion sense sure hasn't changed," he muttered before standing. He was promptly hit in the face with a small object. "WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!" he yelled, stumbling backwards slightly. Looking down, he found the wallet they had given Kai with Mister Dickenson's money in it. Bending down to pick it up, he rounded on the small boy.

"YOU---"

"You really _do_ need to train," the young phoenix cut in, ignoring the others snickering behind the dragon master. He focused only on the reddening of the older blunette's cheeks as he continued. "It was easy enough to anticipate, no one I know would have missed it. Then again," he paused to look over the other teen. "I shouldn't have assumed that you even had the reflexes to avoid harm, after you didn't have the sense enough to dodge a blow to the head."

"**WHY YOU LITTLE---**" Before the Japanese teen could do anything that would endanger his safety (and the safety of those around him for that matter), Max and Rei jumped to their feet and yanked him back to the bench.

"LET ME GO!" he hollered. "I'LL TEACH THE LITTLE BRAT TO TALK TO _ME_ LIKE THAT!"

"Yes let him go," came the bored reply from the petit figure, who was watching with feigned interest. "So we can all see just how pathetic he really is."

Rei growled when Tyson tried to get at the unfazed phoenix with renewed vigor.

"Calm down," the American teen hissed. "People are staring!"

"He's only doing it to instigate you," the Chinese teen added. "Be the bigger person Ty!"

"Bigger moron," came the muttered reply. The tiger had had enough. Whipping around, he threw his whole arm into the motion as he brought his open palm across the blunette's cheek.

Kai yelped as his head was snapped to the side, his eyes widening a fraction before they narrowed dangerously. He didn't look up, and even Tyson had shut his mouth at the murderous flame that had ignited in those crimson depths. Breathing heavily, the tiger lowered his hand.

"Don't you **ever** make me do that again, do you hear me?" he spat at his captain. He could feel his palm stinging, and his stomach churn as he took in the red mark beginning to form on the young phoenix's cheek. But he never let his gaze falter. The petit Russian had to understand that none of them would put up with his behaving like this.

"Kai?" All of them watched, mystified as the blunette regained his composure, and inclined his head. The soft reply barely reached their ears---

"It won't happen again." Feeling suddenly guilty, Rei kneeled down in front of the younger male. Squeezing his shoulders lightly, he caught his attention.

"I'm sorry," he told the phoenix sincerely. "I shouldn't have hit you, and I promise you that it won't happen a second time." The pale boy watched the teen curiously, as if he didn't quite understand, but after a moment he nodded. With a smile, the neko stood, ruffling the slate bangs affectionately. Taking a step back, Kai frowned, smoothing out his bangs again.

"Wow Rei," Max grinned, flashing him a thumbs up. Tyson sighed, deciding to get back at the runt later. Instead, he picked up the wallet again, and opened it.

"Hey wait a minute, he didn't spend any of it!" glaring at the smaller blader, the Dragoon wielder fixed him with an accusing look. "Did you steal that stuff?"

Kai actually looked offended. "No," he ground out, obviously struggling to keep his temper in check. "I used my own money." The American teen raised his eyebrows.

"But Mister D left that cash for you, you didn't have---"

"I know," he answered, crossing his arms and turning away. "This way, I don't owe him anything."

"You're such an ungrateful little brat," the Japanese teen bit out. The Drigger blader held his breath. Surprisingly, the blunette just put one hand in his pocket and started off the way they'd come, letting his answer float over his shoulder as he navigated the sidewalk.

"You don't know enough about me to back up anything you say. You're a bunch of empty threats and half of the things that come out of your mouth are comebacks that merely cover up your own insecurities. I don't have to listen to you Tyson, your words mean nothing."

...

At the Japanese BBA headquarters, Kenny and Mr. Dickenson had taken it upon themselves to get in touch with the leader of the Abbey himself: Boris Balcov.

Of course, this was easier said than done.

"Do you have a scheduled appointment, Mr. Dickenson?" The communications officer grunted through the speakerphone, his gruff baritone practically scratching the paint off the walls.

"No, I do not." The old man answered exasperatedly. "This is an official Bey Blade Association conference call. It is a matter of the highest priority. Now, I demand you put me through!"

"I'm sorry Mr. Dickenson, but without---" suddenly he paused, and a shuffling noise could be heard in the background along with muffled voices. Kenny and the old man held their breaths, letting it out slowly when Boris's oily voice floated through the room.

"Stanley," he greeted with false delight. "This is a most special occasion indeed."

"Boris." Mr. Dickenson offered curtly. "I must ask you to let me speak with one of your boys." Kenny gripped his laptop tight to his chest, practically seeing the elder Russian's long face twisting into a confused scowl.

"I am afraid that is out of the question," he replied coolly after a moment. "They are training at present." Calmly, Mr. D leaned forward towards the phone as he spoke.

"Then I must insist that you allow them a five minute break. I won't be long." Seeming to consider the thought, Boris continued.

"On what grounds?"

"Confidential ones."

"I see," he answered slowly. "And to whom would you be speaking?" The senior hesitated a moment before replying.

"Tala." There was a long silence before the man on the other line began again.

"You're in luck Stanley," he answered with a smirk. "Tala has just stepped into my office."

There was another pause and Kenny took the opportunity to quickly set up his laptop, facing the recorder towards the phone, nodding when he was ready to Mr. D. The old man nodded back solemnly, both of them jumping when another voice cut through the air. The Chief shivered. One that practically lowered the air temperature around them to below zero.

"What? And make it fast." Before the head of the BBA could respond, Boris's voice sounded in the background, hardened dangerously.

"Mind your manners boy," he spat. A barely audible sigh came from the teen.

"Fine. Hello _sir, _what do you want, and make it fast...please." Mr. D was shocked to say the least, as was Kenny. But after a moment he regained his composure, the fate of his team riding on this phone call.

"Tala, I need to ask you a few questions." The line was silent, and they almost thought that the redhead had hung up.

"Well?" Clearing his throat, the old man started up again.

"I need to know a few things about Kai---"

"Is he dead?" Startled, Mr. Dickenson wasn't quite sure of how to reply.

"Excuse me?!"

"Is. He. Dead?" The icy voice repeated, chillingly calm. When the head of the BBA couldn't find the right words to respond, Kenny nearly jumped up from his seat.

"No he's not dead! What would possess you to---" again they were cut off.

"If he's not dead then there is no point in speaking with...either of you." With that the connection ended, leaving the two standing in the room to stare incredulously at the phone, the dial tone echoing off the walls.

...

Tala hit the floor hard, his lip splitting as his teeth sunk deep into the . spite the crimson life fluid dripping down his chin, he kept his mouth clamped shut to keep from crying out again as Boris buried his foot deep in his stomach. Gasping, he tried to pull his knees up to protect himself, but the director grabbed his ankles and flipped him over so that he was lying on his back and sat heavily on his bruised chest, pinning his arms above his head.

"I'm not going to ask you again boy," he hissed, his anger rising in his throat when Tala barely flinched. "_What did they want_?"

The wolf blader glared back at his trainer, but refused to say a word. Growling, Boris drove his knee into his pupil's chest, adding more and more pressure until the pale teen threw his head back in a silent scream, gasping for air. He tried to wrench himself free but he could feel his ribs cracking---

"Kai!" he called out to the ceiling. "They wanted to...they..." he gasped, trying to breathe. Finally the older Russian lifted his knee, relieving Tala of the weight.

"Yes?" he growled. The younger male shut his eyes, trying to answer between panted breaths.

"They wanted...to...know about...Kai..."

"And what did you tell them?" Boris sneered. Turning his head away, the wolf master glared at the wall.

"Nothing." Abruptly he cried out as his trainer wrenched him up by his hair.

"You better not be lying boy," he ground out before slamming Tala's head hard into the stone floor. The pain exploded through his skull, making black spots dance in his eyes, he felt numb; unable to move. Satisfied, Boris stood, striding across the floor to his chair to watch as his pupil struggled.

"Do you think that by resisting me, you'll be able to convince yourself that you are not mine?" he asked casually, grinning wickedly when the wolf froze, his eyes widening momentarily. Finally he groaned, turning over so that he could push himself up.

"I don't belong to anyone." Boris's grin widened.

"But you do," he insisted. "You are mine. You've always been mine. I made you what you are, and that is perfect." A flicker of emotion passed over his cold blue eyes as Tala faltered.

"No," he shook his head. "You don't have---"

"Control over you?" A maniac laugh sounded through the room. "Of course I do."

The smaller male was still shaking his head, paused on his hands and knees, glaring at the ground.

"Stop..."

"You obey my every command, and no matter what you try to prove, in the end I always win."

"No!" he yelled, his arms shaking from the strain and rage building up inside of him. But he was also afraid. Afraid because, the words the one man he hated more than life itself spoke, were true.

"Oh?" the older man taunted. "Then what is your definition of control?" When Tala didn't answer he smirked, standing to stride across the room to the door.

"Get back to your training."

Why the door snapped shut, the wolf master bowed his head, a few stray tears dripping off his long lashes to shatter on the ground between his hands. Because in the end, he could do nothing but obey. He _was_ merely a possession.

He belonged to Boris.

...

A/N: Wow. That was probably the most sadistic thing I've written in a long time. I enjoyed it anyway. So, what now? **.:grins:. **Now, the real fun begins.


	4. With Us

A/N: Hey there minna! I know it's been a while, so you may want to skim the last chapter before moving on to this one. This chapter is a little more serious, but I'm trying my best to keep Kai in character. I think I may have gone a little bit overboard with Stanley, Tala, and Boris, however, we must remember the situation that they're all in. In any case, please let me know what you think, as I was a little wary about their attitudes.

Disclaimer: See chapter one.

…

"The man is impossible!" Mr. Dickenson shouted, slamming the phone down on his fourth attempt to reconnect the line.

Kenny wasn't too sure what to say. They both knew that Boris wasn't going to cooperate any more than he had to and technically he could argue that he'd done everything in his power to help them; if you can ever possibly imagine Boris helping someone that is.

For a long time, the head administrator of the BBA marched around his desk, obviously trying to think of an alternative way of getting to Tala. It did, after all, seem like he was the only one who could get to the bottom of this entire mess.

The Chief looked down at his hands, helpless. _What happened to them? _Kai and Tala were obviously friends at some point. Very good friends in fact. So what could have possibly happened between then and now that was able to shake such a seemingly unbreakable bond?

He couldn't even imagine…

"Kenny?" Snapping out of his thoughts, the petit brunette quickly looked up to show he was listening.

Mr. Dickenson leaned across his desk, the seriousness in his eyes so unlike his usual personality that it made the Chief nervous.

"You are sure there is no other option?" he asked slowly.

"Yes sir, I'm positive. Kai's memories lie with Tala…we need him to get to the bottom of this."

With a sigh that seemed to personify the weight of the world, the old man sat back down in his chair, and pressed the intercom.

"Marie, I'm going to need you to schedule a flight to Russia for me, as soon as possible."

"_Of course sir. Where will you be landing?" _

"Moscow. And please inform the Russian BBA of my arrival."

…

Kenny watched his feet as he made his way down the sidewalk. Time seemed to slow the world around him as he walked home. He wasn't even sure if he was awake anymore or not. What if all of this was an awful nightmare?

If only he could wake up.

"_Kenny, I will be gone for a few days I suppose, perhaps longer," Mr. Dickenson informed him as they walked out of the building. "You can reach me through Marie if you need anything."_

_The Chief nodded, stopping with his benefactor at the edge of the sidewalk. A limo pulled up next to them just as they did so. _

"_What are you going to do then, if you don't mind me asking?" Kenny looked up timidly. _

"_I am going to do everything that I can, my dear boy, everything that I can." With that, he stepped into the limo as the chauffer opened the door. "Until I get back however," he added before the door was closed. "Don't tell Kai about all of this. If you have to say anything, we couldn't get a hold of Tala, and we'll try again later." _

"_What about Rei, Max and Tyson?" _

"_I am sure they'll want to hear all about it," he smiled, although it seemed pained. "Take care."_

"_You too…" he answered softly as the long, black car pulled away._

The whole situation was absolutely ridiculous. Tala was never going to cooperate, and even if he wanted to then Boris would have to give the okay, and it wasn't like that maniac was going to spare thirty seconds to see Mr. Dickenson. So what were they going to do?

Holding Dizzy up to his nose he shook her in frustration. "HOW DO WE GET OURSELVES INTO MESSES LIKE THESE!"

"WHOA CHIEF COOL IT! YOU'RE FRYING MY CIRCUTS!"

Calming down, Kenny sighed. "I'm sorry Dizzy."

"Just…warn me next time would you?" she quipped, though not unkindly. The brunette smiled.

"Sure thing."

"As for the answer to your question? I have absolutely no idea Chief…logically speaking, this kind of thing isn't even physically possible."

"Then how did it happen?" he wondered out loud. "One minute Kai is fast asleep, the next minute he's eight years old again, determined to be reunited with his supposed best friend now turned enemy Tala Ivanov...champion of the Russian Beyblading team."

"You might not want to advertise that Chief. We've already lost one blader…"

"That isn't funny Dizzy," he muttered, his eyebrow twitching violently. "I'm aware of the absurdness of this situation you know."

"Ah yes, but are you aware of the looks you're getting?" Stiffening, Kenny glanced around quickly, his face erupting with red heat when he realized that everyone on the sidewalk was staring at him.

"I'll…talk to you later Dizzy," he whispered, shutting the laptop. Coughing loudly, he jogged across the road to the park and out of sight before letting out a deep breath in relief.

Looking around once more to make sure he wasn't attracting anymore attention, he was happy to note that he wasn't.

"Alright," he told himself quietly. "You are going to go home, and wait for the others before you get us all into more than we can handle right now…"

Nodding with determination, he began making his way across the park. As he passed the playground, something caught his eye.

Stopping momentarily to get a better look, The Chief recognized Chibikai, standing alone at the edge of the playground, watching the other children play. The look on his face was confusing and he was holding his hand up to his heart as if it pained him to see, and still he went on staring. He looked so fragile just then.

Weighing his options, Kenny slowly made his way over to his team captain, careful not to surprise him. Kai dropped his hand as he approached. It was then that the small teen realized that the blunette had been holding Dranzer against his chest, a fact he was trying to hide. Kenny pretended not to notice.

"Hey Kai," he started, trying to be pleasant. "Where are the others?"

The smaller boy shrugged, crossing his arms over his chest. "I don't remember where I left them." The Chief tried not to fall over at the answer.

"Well, why don't we head back to the house? We'll wait for them there."

"I want to stay here," he answered firmly. Throughout the entire conversation he'd never once looked at Kenny. The Chief sighed, switching Dizzy to one hand and running the other through his hair. He needed to get Kai back to the house.

"I'm sure they're all worried though, we should get back so that they don't have to go looking for us."

Kai thought about this. _Worry leads to frustration, which in turn leads to anger…. _Reluctantly, he nodded, waiting for Kenny to lead. They both walked back to the house in silence, each lost in their own scattered thoughts.

…

Rei, Max, and Tyson flew down the sidewalks, their heads whipping in every direction as they passed street after street.

"Tyson you were supposed to be watching him!" Rei hollered over his shoulder.

"I **was **watching him," he insisted. "The little brat just disappeared!"

"That isn't possible," Max countered. "Even if he was moving fast, he had to have been close by!"

Suddenly, Rei and Max turned to look at each other. No, they shouldn't expect that much out of Tyson.

"Never mind buddy," the petit blonde added after a moment. "Let's just find him."

After they hit the park, the three of them stopped to rest. Bending over with his hands on his knees, Tyson panted heavily next to his other friends who were breathing just as hard.

"Do…do you guys actually think…that, he ran…?" he huffed, glancing at them out of the corner of his eye. "I mean…Kai maybe…a jerk…a lot…but…he's never really…broken a promise. And he did promise us he'd stay with us."

"But he _didn't _stay with us Ty!" Maxie countered. "He isn't here now!"

"Yeah I know," the blunette agreed, straightening. "But we have to think of this like Kai would."

Rei's eyes lit up in realization. "Wow Tyson! You may just have something there!"

"What?" the American teen pouted. Tyson through a reassuring arm over his friend's shoulders.

"Kai **is** still with us Maxie…he's living at the house with us…get it?"

His large blue eyes widened hopefully. "You're right Tyson!" Glancing at the other two quickly, he jogged ahead. "Well? What are we waiting for?"

All three of them began their jog back to the house Mr. Dickenson had rented for them.

"Jeez…" the blunette complained as they continued. "Even as a freakin' eight year-old brat, he's got us training just like before!"

"Then be grateful Tyson," Rei laughed. "We've still got a tournament ahead of us to win."

They rounded the corner a little too quickly, nearly knocking into a woman and her groceries. Fortunately for them, Rei's superior reflexes saved them all from certain disaster. They decided to walk from there.

"So," Max mused. "What happens if he isn't there?"

"Then we kick ourselves for not putting him on a leash and promptly fix the problem."

"TYSON!" Max yelled, aiming to smack his friend upside the head. "If you keep talking like that we'll never gain his trust."

Rei agreed solemnly. "He's right. Until Mr. Dickenson can get a hold of Tala, we have to do everything we can to get Kai to open up to us."

"Especially since Mr. D may not even be able to get a hold of him. We all know Boris after all." Maxie added unenthusiastically.

"Oh come off it," Tyson replied, folding his hands behind his head as they walked the last few feet to their house. "The kid isn't even around."

He was acting tough, but both Rei and Max knew Tyson was worried. No one looked out for their captain more than he did.

Heading up the front steps, the three of them took a deep breath and crossed their fingers as the entered. The truth is, if Kai wasn't there, then there was no way that they'd be able to find him on their own.

Closing the door behind them, Rei called up the stairs.

"Kai? Are you here?"

To there surprise it was Kenny who answered from the kitchen. "We're up here you three!"

Filled with relief they slipped out of their shoes and made their way up the stairs and into the kitchen. What they found was so shocking, neither of them could speak for quite some time.

Kai was seated across the kitchen table from Kenny, eating a peanut-butter and jelly sandwich from what they could tell. The Chief was making modifications to their blades. But whenever he was finished with a certain model, he would turn the screen to Kai, who would look up from his sandwich to check over the work. As they watched, the tiny Russian leaned closer, brows furrowed in concentration. He took a bite of his sandwich when suddenly something caught his eye. Leaving the sandwich in his mouth, he reached over the table to the keypad, and with a few alterations, he turned the laptop back around before taking the sandwich back out of his mouth.

"Try that," he advised after swallowing. Kenny nodded while the rest of them stared, jaws dropping even further at the sight of the latest Draciel model.

"That's awesome Kai!" Max praised. "The defense stats are better than ever!" Crimson eyes widened for a moment, before softening.

"I'm sure they could be higher," he shrugged, finishing off his sandwich. "But I couldn't make an accurate decision based on your status data alone. I have to see you work with this one first."

Rei grinned at the tinge of pink that appeared on Kai's cheeks when Max praised him again anyway.

"How long have you two been here?" Tyson asked suddenly, eyeing Kai as he took his plate back to the sink and began to wash it.

"Probably only a half an hour," Kenny answered, pulling up Dragoon on his screen now that Max's blade was finished. In the background, the blonde was all but bouncing with excitement.

"I found Kai at the park, and suggested we wait for you here. When we came home, there was nothing to do, so I offered Kai to help me with upgrades for the tournament."

"You actually wanted help?" Tyson hissed. "You never want help!"

"That's because none of you know what you're doing when it comes to computers." The Chief responded indignantly. Lowering his voice he added, "besides, Kai needed something to do…I didn't want him to run off again."

"I told you I would stay," he shot over his shoulder, slamming the tap down to shut the water off. Everyone jumped.

"How do you _do_ that?" Tyson cried, unable to hide his curiosity any longer.

"Do what exactly?" Kai asked, folding his arms over his chest defiantly.

"Hear what people are saying even though they are whispering all the way across a room! You even had the water running! That's what!"

For a moment, Kai seemed to falter. When he did answer, he was leaving the room as he did so.

"I am required to."

…

Mr. Dickenson pulled his coat tighter around him as he exited the plane. As quickly as he could, he made his way to the car that was waiting for him opposite the plane. When he was seated comfortably in the backseat, his driver informed him that his luggage would be transferred to the BBA Embassy.

"Thank you," he answered with a nod. "Now, take me to the Abbey. I must speak with Boris immediately."

The driver seemed reluctant. "Let me at least call for escorts Sir."

"Will it take long? I am aware of the risks, unfortunately for Boris however, he cannot touch me without raising suspicion."

"Only a moment Sir."

"Very well then," the elder man replied.

As he waited, his resolve grew steadily stronger. Kai needed all of the help that he could get, and right now, he was the only one with the power to give it to him. HE looked up expectantly when the chauffer put his radio down, and after a few more moments, two official BBA squad cars pulled up next to them.

"Thank you," Mr. Dickenson told the man somewhat impatiently. "Now…if you please?" The driver nodded, pulling out into the roads, the two escorts flanking them.

As they drove into the heart of Moscow, the head administrator of the BBA couldn't help but admire the snow glistening on the grounds around them as they continued on. How could such a beautiful place hold so many dark memories?

The ride to the Abbey was uneventful, merely flooded with all of the thoughts fluttering in and out of Mr. Dickenson's mind. He felt the weight of responsibility on his shoulders as they pulled up the long drive to the front gates. Leaning out of the window, the driver pressed the intercom.

"Mr. Dickenson of the BBA requests permission to enter." A deep voice booming with a hard Russian accent barked at them from the speaker box.

"_I am afraid that is impossible. Boris is training his pupils, and will not be disturbed."_

"We regret any inconvenience but, I am afraid that this is a matter of the highest priority."

"_Boris was not aware of this meeting, and is unable to accommodate you." _

"If you do not open these gates I will be forced to get the entire Beyblade Battle Association involved; this is your last warning!" Mr. Dickenson bellowed from the back seat, taking the driver by surprise. Apparently so was the man on the other side of the intercom, because he didn't answer for a few moments.

"_An official will meet you at the entrance. You will wait for Boris with him."_

"Thank you," the driver answered back as the gates opened.

Relaxing as they continued up to the main entrance, Mr. Dickenson pondered his conversation with Boris and Tala earlier that day, wondering if he could possibly pull off what he was about to attempt. His grip on his cane tightened. Failure wasn't an option. He needed to return Kai back to his self again, no matter what the cost.

When his driver opened the door for him, stepped out, leading his escorts to the large doors of the Abbey fortress. There was a Russian standing at the top of the stairs, waiting for them.

"Follow me." He told them curtly before turning on his heel and nodding to the guards to open the enormous doors.

Entering the Abbey, the four of them marched their way down the halls, coming to a room not far from the training wing, as they noticed the sounds of blades crashing against one another, and children calling out orders in the darkness ahead of them. The man left them there with a warning to stay put. Boris would be with them momentarily.

While he was waiting, Mr. Dickenson marveled at the sheer size of everything around him. Was this building's only purpose to be daunting?

True to his word, the coach of the Demolition Boys entered not ten minutes after they themselves had been shown in, and he was just as fake as ever. His smile wasn't fooling any of them.

"Stanley, what a pleasant surprise. I take it this has something to do with your phone call earlier this morning?"

"It does Boris. I have a pressing matter that needs to be dealt with. Unfortunately, I need your help to do so." The younger man scowled at the statement, but sat down across from him just the same.

"Really?" he replied flatly. "And what exactly is the problem?" For a moment, Mr. Dickenson hesitated.

"I am afraid that is none of your concern."

"And how exactly do you expect me to help you then?" the oily man answered, obviously growing annoyed with the lack of information.

"All I am asking of you is permission to accompany young Tala back to Japan for a week."

"Oh is that all?" he answered sarcastically, standing from his chair. "I am afraid that is out of the question."

"You're schedule will not be affected. The tournament has been postponed until further notice." The other man looked suspicious.

"Why wasn't I informed of this change?"

"It was only a recent decision."

Boris seemed to contemplate this. Mr. Dickenson watched him closely, counting on him to take the bait. The only way that the man would allow Tala to go back to Japan with him would be if he believed that he could benefit from it. After the silence stretched on longer than necessary, Mr. Dickenson spoke up, laying his trump card on the table.

"Of course Tala will explain everything when he returns, and whether he was successful or not."

Boris was not a stupid man. He understood exactly what Mr. Dickenson was doing, and understood it well. That didn't mean that the old man didn't have a point though. He may never have another opportunity do gain viable information again.

Another _legal _opportunity that is.

Smiling a crooked smile, Boris agreed. "If you would be so kind as to give me one night to prepare Tala for this arrangement?"

Mr. Dickenson nodded, standing with his escorts. "Of course. I will be staying at the Embassy."

"Then he will meet you there tomorrow morning. However, in one week's time I expect him to return to me…. We will keep in touch Stanley." With that, he whipped around, his black cloak billowing out behind him like an ominous cloud.

…

"Excuse me?" Tala snapped as his trainer paced the floor of his study, obviously formulating plans in his wicked mind.

"Don't give me lip boy," the older man warned.

"You're asking me to travel with Mr. Dickenson? _To stay with him for a week?_" he spat. "You give me too much credit Boris."

"And you are giving me far too much attitude. Do not push me Tala; this is the perfect opportunity to collect information on the Blade Breakers."

"We don't need information to beat them." He grunted as he was slammed up against the stone wall.

"Enough. You can spend the next week in Japan or in a cell. Do I make myself clear?" Tala growled. Boris narrowed his eyes. "I asked you a question boy, and I will not repeat it."

"Then don't."

Tala's head whipped violently to the side, his cheek smashing against the stone wall behind him when Boris punched him directly in the jaw. His lip split open for the second time in two days.

"Always this futile attempt to defy me." Boris actually laughed. "Have I not explained this enough?" The redhead regained his posture, resisting the urge to bring his hand to his burning cheek. The hit wasn't hard enough to bruise…not for Tala anyway. But it would be swollen for the next couple of hours.

"Get out of my sight," his trainer yelled suddenly. "You will be ready by seven forty-five sharp. I will debrief you before you leave. If you fail to cooperate the consequences will have no bounds. You will be exempt from the tournament as well."

"What!" the teen cried out angrily. "You can't afford to cut me from the competition!"

"Careful boy," Boris whispered with a suddenly, eerily calm tone. "I created you, and I can just as easily replace you."

Tala fumed over his words, and his violent promises hidden in them. He felt his nails biting into his palms as he squeezed his fists tighter and tighter until the skin on his knuckles started to tear. The bastard always had him. He was always locked in that goddamned iron grip of his. Being replaced was to be thrown to the lions. A fate worse than death awaited any blader who was no longer of any use to The Abbey.

And Boris knew that Tala would stick it out, if only to find a way to kill him in the end. Bowing out, Tala left without a word, Boris's victorious grin seared into his scarred memory.

…

A/N: One of my favorite chapters ever written, despite the possible flaws in character. Just let me in on improvements if you see fit to point any out, and until next time minna, thanks again for all of your support!


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